A method of detecting a finger print in an image of an individual's hand acquired on the fly, without contact with the hand, is known from document WO2009/112717. In this method, to identify the finger print in the image, use is made of luminous test cards which are projected onto the hand and then a monochrome image is generated in one of the projected colours and this monochrome image is analysed so as to search therein for shapes characteristic of a print such as local deviations of the striations, shapes/contours of striations, the position of pores. Provided that these characteristic shapes are found in the image, it is known that an image representing a print has been identified.
This method of detection requires the projection of particular test cards and the analysis of the image so as to search therein for characteristics representative of prints. It would be desirable to simplify the method of detecting a hand print in an image.